Austria
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. This neutrality, once ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity, has been called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995. A prosperous country, Austria entered the European Monetary Union in 1999.

Location:
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Area:
total: 83,858 sq km
water: 1,120 sq km
land: 82,738 sq km

Land boundaries:
total: 2,562 km
border countries: Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km

Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers

Terrain:
in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps); along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping

Land use:
arable land: 16.89%
permanent crops: 0.99%
other: 82.12% (1998 est.)

Population:
8,188,207 (July 2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian

Languages:
German